Gaming machines have been developed having various features to capture and maintain player interest. Traditionally, gaming machines garner player interest by providing the player with the opportunity to win cash awards based upon a player's wager. Accordingly, various types of games or game features have been developed to provide players with the opportunity to win large sums of money for a small wager. For example, games may include one or more bonus games or the opportunity to win progressive jackpots in order to maintain player interest.
Traditional mechanical gaming machines include three or more reels, with each reel having a set number of symbols spaced apart. One of the limitations of a reel-spinning, multi-game gaming machine is that the reel strips are fixed, and a mechanical reel strip cannot have its appearance or the order of the symbols easily changed. Multi-game play is further limited when symbols have to be shared with or selected from the common symbols on the reel strips.
Modern slot machines are usually theme-based, and thus, the graphics need to be customized for each theme. This can be costly and also lengthens the time it takes to manufacture them, and complicates the production-line. With video slot machines, changing graphics to coordinate with the different themes is simply a matter of software. In contrast, mechanical slot machines require a technician to change out the reels if they want to modify the symbols on the reels, which is a very costly and time-consuming task, and simply not an option if one desires to allow the player to change themes or game type.
Additionally, over the years, gaming machines have grown in sophistication and features to maintain player interest. For example, the mechanical reels of traditional gaming machines have been replaced with video depictions of spinning reels. Nevertheless, mechanical gaming machines continue to be successful despite the physical limitations as to the features that may be provided on a mechanical gaming machine. Accordingly, there is a continuing need for slot machine variants that provide a player with enhanced excitement without departing from the original slot machine gaming concept.